Basic questions about DMX controllers and MagicQ

[AlanTaylor]

Hello everyone, I am new here and have posted a thread here: http://www.djforums.com/forums/showthread.php?29772-Looking-for-some-input-on-some-lights regarding some lights I intend to purchase.

As I mentioned in that thread I am fairly new to all of this and am wanting to make entrance lighting for a wrestling show.

I have the MagicQ software and dongle and have been trying to learn this but wonder if maybe a hardware controller would be better for me? Here is what I am trying to do:
- Each performer would have his own lighting, one person may be flashing green, another alternating between red and orange, and so on

I would like to set these all up in advance so that when it's show time I can press a button and have the lights go off correctly.

On MagicQ I have gotten to the point of being able to set colours for the static lights, but do not know how to set things such as the intensity or strobe. I cannot find a way to control the Swarm at all, as it's manual says that setting the 4 channels achieves the effects.

I think I am looking in the wrong area for these controls - if anyone could help me I would greatly appreciate it.

I also think that setting these programs up on a traditional controller such as a Chauvet Obery 40 would be much easier, but my understanding is that I could only store a small number of these entrances? I think they refer to them as programs?

If anyone could give me some input on this I would GREATLY appreciate it!

[BillESC]

The Obey 40 is a simple and easy controller. It can store 240 individual scenes (looks.)

A scene could be each fixture strobing in a different color or rate.

Scenes are created in Banks of 8 scenes and these 8 scenes can sequence manually, automatically or to the music.

The board also features 6 Chases which can hold up to 240 scenes in any order including repetitive sequences.

[AlanTaylor]

The Obey 40 is a simple and easy controller. It can store 240 individual scenes (looks.)

A scene could be each fixture strobing in a different color or rate.

Scenes are created in Banks of 8 scenes and these 8 scenes can sequence manually, automatically or to the music.

The board also features 6 Chases which can hold up to 240 scenes in any order including repetitive sequences.

Thanks Bill. Could I then have the lights all flashing green, then purple, then back to green etc, and only use one of the 240 scenes? Or would that be one of the 6 chases?

[WillieB69]

Thanks Bill. Could I then have the lights all flashing green, then purple, then back to green etc, and only use one of the 240 scenes? Or would that be one of the 6 chases?

That would be a chase -although you would only have 2 scenes in the chase.
Each color would be a scene and the scenes would be switching very rapidly.

[AlanTaylor]

That would be a chase -although you would only have 2 scenes in the chase.
Each color would be a scene and the scenes would be switching very rapidly.

Ok, I'm going to have to keep trying to learn more MagicQ then, I have to make these for much more than 6 people! Thanks for the advice!

[BillESC]

Actually, you could just use one of the 40 Banks to set up a simple green-purple-green-purple sequence. No need to use up a Chase.